10 People Who Have Been Banned From 'Saturday Night Live'

As light and fun as "Saturday Night Live" is, there is a dark underbelly that few casual viewers know exists. There is an exclusive club that’s anything from desirable or glamorous; those who are banned from ever appearing on Saturday Night Live ever again.

You have to really tick off Lorne Michaels to get yourself banned for life, but these ten people went the extra mile and found a way to get blacklisted.

In 1994, at the peak of Lawrence’s career, he hosted SNL and decided to get a little off topic during his opening monologue. He began ranting about feminine hygiene and the importance of douching. Seriously. The original monologue aired live, but any rebroadcasts cut away to a black screen that explains why this part of Lawrence’s monologue was removed. You can read a transcript of the complete monologue here.

As light and fun as "Saturday Night Live" is, there is a dark underbelly that few casual viewers know exists. There is an exclusive club that’s anything from desirable or glamorous; those who are banned from ever appearing on Saturday Night Live ever again.

You have to really tick off Lorne Michaels to get yourself banned for life, but these ten people went the extra mile and found a way to get blacklisted.

In 1994, at the peak of Lawrence’s career, he hosted SNL and decided to get a little off topic during his opening monologue. He began ranting about feminine hygiene and the importance of douching. Seriously. The original monologue aired live, but any rebroadcasts cut away to a black screen that explains why this part of Lawrence’s monologue was removed. You can read a transcript of the complete monologue here.

Wikimedia Commons

Frank Zappa

Anyone familiar with Frank Zappa could tell you that having him host a live program would not go as you’d planned. His 1978 appearance was a behind the scenes disaster, as he clashed with the cast and crew, not only in rehearsals, but on the night of the show as well. He even announced, at one point, that he was reading everything from cue cards. Not good times at all.

Anyone familiar with Frank Zappa could tell you that having him host a live program would not go as you’d planned. His 1978 appearance was a behind the scenes disaster, as he clashed with the cast and crew, not only in rehearsals, but on the night of the show as well. He even announced, at one point, that he was reading everything from cue cards. Not good times at all.

That’s right, the dad from the "Beethoven" movies is banned from "Saturday Night Live." The comedian skipped rehearsals, decided to ad-lib most of his lines, and even broke character during a sketch, which is the deadly sin of "SNL." Some reports even claim that Grodin was drunk when he arrived the day of the show. I wonder if he was drunk during "Beethoven’s 2nd?"

That’s right, the dad from the "Beethoven" movies is banned from "Saturday Night Live." The comedian skipped rehearsals, decided to ad-lib most of his lines, and even broke character during a sketch, which is the deadly sin of "SNL." Some reports even claim that Grodin was drunk when he arrived the day of the show. I wonder if he was drunk during "Beethoven’s 2nd?"

While Seagal didn’t pull any outrageous stunts on the air, his terrible ideas and inability to work with the writers and crew members, not only led to him being banned in 1991, but he was deemed the “worst host ever” by Lorne Michaels. That’s an incredible feat considering both Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan have hosted the show.

While Seagal didn’t pull any outrageous stunts on the air, his terrible ideas and inability to work with the writers and crew members, not only led to him being banned in 1991, but he was deemed the “worst host ever” by Lorne Michaels. That’s an incredible feat considering both Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan have hosted the show.

From the very first moment of The Replacements’ 1986 performance, you know it’s going to be a train wreck. The drummer kind of counts down the song while you can clearly hear one of the band members ask if they’re starting yet. The lyrics are all over the place and the guitar lines are beyond sloppy. It’s not likely that The Replacements would have made any more SNL appearances anyway, but this took care of any chances of it ever happening again.

From the very first moment of The Replacements’ 1986 performance, you know it’s going to be a train wreck. The drummer kind of counts down the song while you can clearly hear one of the band members ask if they’re starting yet. The lyrics are all over the place and the guitar lines are beyond sloppy. It’s not likely that The Replacements would have made any more SNL appearances anyway, but this took care of any chances of it ever happening again.

Before his troubles with murder, Robert Blake got himself banned from SNL in 1982. Accounts from the week report that he was such a jerk to work with that he even went as far as to take a script, crumple it up and throw it into the face of writer Gary Kroeger.

He was obviously banned from the show, and I’m thinking the suspicion of him murdering his wife made a lot of sense to all those involved in that week of production.

Before his troubles with murder, Robert Blake got himself banned from SNL in 1982. Accounts from the week report that he was such a jerk to work with that he even went as far as to take a script, crumple it up and throw it into the face of writer Gary Kroeger.

He was obviously banned from the show, and I’m thinking the suspicion of him murdering his wife made a lot of sense to all those involved in that week of production.

Berle had been known to overrun a television show, which was exactly what happened in his 1979 hosting gig. Berle kept upstaging the other performers and inserting his own, older comedy bits into sketches.

Rosie Shuster, who was a "Saturday Night Live" writer at the time, described their rehearsals as “watching a comedy train accident in slow motion on a loop.” Probably not the way you’d want to be described. To no one’s surprise, Berle was banned for life.

Berle had been known to overrun a television show, which was exactly what happened in his 1979 hosting gig. Berle kept upstaging the other performers and inserting his own, older comedy bits into sketches.

Rosie Shuster, who was a "Saturday Night Live" writer at the time, described their rehearsals as “watching a comedy train accident in slow motion on a loop.” Probably not the way you’d want to be described. To no one’s surprise, Berle was banned for life.

Well here’s a shocker; Cypress Hill smokes weed. I’ll give you a minute to pick your jaw up off the floor. They took their drug love to a new level in 1993 when the musical guests started out their set by lighting up a joint on-air and smoking it throughout their performance.

Well here’s a shocker; Cypress Hill smokes weed. I’ll give you a minute to pick your jaw up off the floor. They took their drug love to a new level in 1993 when the musical guests started out their set by lighting up a joint on-air and smoking it throughout their performance.

We’re not sure what exactly Brody was thinking in 2003 when he decided the best way to introduce musical guest Sean Paul was to put on fake dreadlocks and talk with a fake accent, but it was enough to get him banned for life.

If you’re ever asked to host SNL keep in mind that Lorne Michaels hates improvised ideas so just stick to the script. Here’s the bizarre intro that feels like the longest 44 seconds of your life:

We’re not sure what exactly Brody was thinking in 2003 when he decided the best way to introduce musical guest Sean Paul was to put on fake dreadlocks and talk with a fake accent, but it was enough to get him banned for life.

If you’re ever asked to host SNL keep in mind that Lorne Michaels hates improvised ideas so just stick to the script. Here’s the bizarre intro that feels like the longest 44 seconds of your life:

Ah, the classic Sinead performance. In case you aren’t familiar, in 1992 O’Connor was the musical guest where she performed Bob Marley’s song “War.” In rehearsals she had ended the song by holding up a picture of a refugee child, however in the live performance she, instead, held up a picture of the Pope and ripped it into pieces while declaring, “Fight the real enemy.”

The audience went silent, as Lorne Michaels ordered the applause sign not be turned on, as the audience sat in silence. NBC was flooded with mail and phone calls after the show. The next week guest host Joe Pesci showed the audience a picture of the Pope and said he had taped it all back together then ripped up a picture of Sinead O’Connor.

Ah, the classic Sinead performance. In case you aren’t familiar, in 1992 O’Connor was the musical guest where she performed Bob Marley’s song “War.” In rehearsals she had ended the song by holding up a picture of a refugee child, however in the live performance she, instead, held up a picture of the Pope and ripped it into pieces while declaring, “Fight the real enemy.”

The audience went silent, as Lorne Michaels ordered the applause sign not be turned on, as the audience sat in silence. NBC was flooded with mail and phone calls after the show. The next week guest host Joe Pesci showed the audience a picture of the Pope and said he had taped it all back together then ripped up a picture of Sinead O’Connor.